Manufacture of snow ice



March 11, 11. F, w. BRADY 2,234,425

' MANUFACTURE OF SNOW ICE Filed Aug. '17, 1939 INVENTOR rank W flraoyATTORNEY Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITEDv STATES MANUFACTURE OF SNOW ICEFrank W. Brady, San Francisco, Calif. 7 Application August 17, 1939,Serial No. 290,589

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for pro 1 ducing snow ice fromcrushed ice.

In the packing of lettuce for shipment it is usual to place severallayers of lettuce in a crate with a layer of ice interposed between eachlayer of lettuce, and with a top layer of ice on the uppermost layer oflettuce. The crate top is then placed in position and nailed down. Thecrate lid placing and nailing is usually conducted in a .machine whichforces the lid down positively, compressing the contents of the cratewith considerable force. It has been found that with ordinary crushedice, that delivered from the usual ice crusher, considerable bruising ofthe lettuce results. The bruised areas decay in the course of a few daysand impart a very objectionable ppearance to the lettuce. Usually uponarrival the bruised leaves must be removed. This necessitates rehandlingthe lettuce as well as strip ing of many of the outer leaves off thelettuce. The trade therefore has turned to the utilization of snow icebecause with the ice in more finely divided form, upon the lid beingplaced in position upon the crate bruising of the lettuce is greatlyreduced, if not entirely eliminated. The claim is made by some that snowice lasts longer in the crate than crushed ice. While the packing oflettuce has been specifically discussed, the problem presented is commonto many other products.

Ice is reducedin size only with difliculty and the production of snowice from either block ice or previously crushed ice. presents a problemwhich has'long troubled the trade. Thus, it is not economically possibleto produce snow ice from ordinary ice crushers or from the usual millsemployed for comminuting material. It is in general the broad object ofthe present invention to provide a simple but very efiicient machine forthe production of snow ice from crushed ice.

This invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, together with the foregoing :broadly stated object, will appearin the following wherein the present preferred form of snow ice machineof this invention is disclosed.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof Figure 1 is a planview partly in section of the machine of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the screen grill or grid employed.

In accordance with this invention I provide a suitable power unit suchas the electric motor which I have indicated generally at 6. In place ofthis motor anyother suitable prime mover can be employed. The motorusually includes a drive shaft indicatedat 1, upon which is mountedasuitable motor 8. The rotor includes a plurality of fiat blades,usually six, cooperating with a con- 6 centrically placed outer casing9. A suitable inlet is provided by a hopper H which directs the crushedice delivered from a suitable source as an ice crusher or a conveyortherefrom into the casing to the center of the rotor. Upon rotation 10of the rotor at about 1800 R. P. M. the ice is thrown out by centrifugalforce to discharge through tangential outlet l2.

In accordance with this invention I mount across the discharge openingI! a suitable plate It, bolts It retaining this plate in place upon asuitable flange H on the casing 9. The plate Hi includes an openingtherein, and across this opening is provided a plurality of spacedmembers l9 providing a grill, grid,.or screen. The ice is discharged offthe face .of any one .of the vanes on the rotor with-very considerablekinetic energy so that it is thown forcefully against the grill,

grid, or screen and thereupon is cut, broken, or shattered and, as itpasses through the grill, grid or screen, is reduced in size to what isknown in the trade as snowice.

The plate It is placed at an angle across the discharge l2 so that itsouter edge, that adjacent the retreating rotor edge, is close to, orwipes this edge of the rotor. The spaced members [9 are usually aboutinch apart. I have made them of inch by inch :bars placed on edge with ainch apart, the bars being welded in place with a slight rake andcurved'inw-ardly slightly toward the rotor. This placement gives acutting action on ice between the rotor and the grill.

For the purposes of this invention snow ice is defined as ice in whicheach particle is of a size such that it will pass through a screenhaving 40 an opening not over %inch along each side.

After discharge of snowice through the grill l9 into pipe 2! it is ledaway to a point of use or to a suitable screw conveyor or otherwisedischarged as desired. The snow ice has sufficient energy'so it can bedischarged at some distance from the machine without-further powerinput.

Iclaim:

1. A machine for producing snow ice from crushed ice comprising asubstantially flat bladed multivaned rotor, a casing about the rotor, aninlet to said casing and to said rotor, an outlet on the periphery ofsaid casing, and a grill over said outlet for receiving and comminu-tingice thrown ofi the rotor, saidgrill including a pluraiity of spacedmembers extending generally parallel to the plane of rotation of saidrotor but at a slight angle thereto, said spaced members having theirends at one end of thegrill spaced from said rotor to permit ice toenter between the rotor and the members, said members extending fromsaid end in toward the rotor inthe direction of rotor rotation and atleast over a portion of their length substantially to engage the rotorwhereby the rotor is effective to force ice, initially between themembers and the rotor, finally between the members.

2. A machine for producing snow ice from crushed ice comprising asubstantially flat bladed multivaned rotor, a casing about the rotor, aninlet to said casing and to said rotor, an outlet on the periphery ofsaid casing, and a grill over said outlet for receiving andcomminutingice thrown oi! the rotor, said grill including a plurality ofspaced members extending generally parallel to the plane of rotation ofsaid rotor but at a slight angle thereto and with one end of saidmembers.closely adjacent to the retreating edge of said rotor and withthe other end of said members spaced from said rotor edge.

3. A method of reducing crushed ice to snow ice by impact shattering andcomminution on a stationary member having a plurality of openingstherein of restricted size to pass only snow ice, said method comprisingdischarging crushed ice, after imparting substantial kinetic energythereto, against said stationary member on which the ice impinges andshatters while simultaneously moving the ice positively across saidopenings to force the ice through said discharge openings and therebyeffect further comminution o! the ice. FRANK W. BRADY.

